April 2018 EI

Each month, we hand-search 87 top journals in pediatric speech–language pathology for the newest articles relevant to Early Intervention SLPs. From a stack of well over a hundred new articles per month, we narrow it down to those immediately applicable to clinical practice, and review them here! Read more about our process here.

Toddlers with hearing loss do not gain vocabulary at the same rate as toddlers with normal hearing. Some of the reasons for this delay are out of our control as therapists. We cannot change a child’s speech perception or the age at which the child received amplification. What we can do is manipulate the child’s environment to promote vocabulary growth...

Many early intervention centers are moving from a direct therapy model to a parent training/coaching model. This shift in philosophy can be challenging for many therapists, especially those who have heard “all you do is play!” from parents a few too many times. Teaching our intricate strategies to a parent with no background in language development is not easy! The authors of this study shed some light on effective parent training and coaching...

There have been many advances in the early identification of autism in recent years, but did you know that the average age of diagnosis is still around 4 years old. I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing that I am—We need to do better than that! When it comes to early identification of autism, previous research has shown that one way we can make sure we’re getting all of the information needed is...

It has become pretty clear that intensive early intervention can improve outcomes for children with autism. Yet, the age of diagnosis is often after the age of 3. What’s a birth-to-three SLP to do? This study looked at whether scores on developmental measures at 8 and 14 months could predict...

We all know reading books with our kids and clients is wonderful for language development, but what about shared reading makes it so beneficial to learning vocabulary? This study examined what elements of shared book reading contribute to word learning...

This study sought to include early intervention practitioners intheir research. Specifically, they used qualitative methodsto assess practitioner’sperceptions of Triadic Gaze Intervention, in terms of acceptability and feasibility for implementation...